Point Loma  The multimillion dollar rehabilitation of the historic University House at the University of California San Diego is moving ahead after a long delay and the renovated building will be renamed Geisel House to honor longtime university supporter Audrey Geisel.

The UC Board of Regents on Thursday approved the second phase of the project, which is expected to cost $10.5 million, covered by gift funds. The 11,400-square-foot adobe house on a La Jolla bluff was declared uninhabitable in 2004 after former UCSD Chancellor Robert Dynes moved out. The house, which was built in 1952, was found to have seismic, electrical and plumbing problems.

The project includes a private residence intended for the chancellor and a semipublic space for university use, including a commercial kitchen and room to serve dinner for groups up to 60 people. The large public meeting room will be named the Rik and Flo Henrikson Commons. The couple bequeathed more than $20 million to the UC San Diego Foundation.

The house, which is located on seven acres in La Jolla Farms, offers a spectacular view of the Pacific. It is registered as a historic site at the local, state and national levels and was designed by noted Santa Fe-based architect William Lumpkins.

As part of the work, a La Jolla bluff is being stabilized.

Audrey Geisel, widow of author Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, has long supported UCSD. The university’s main library was renamed Geisel Library in 1995 in honor of Theodor Geisel following a $20 million gift from his widow.

“She and Ted understood the vision of UC San Diego, and supported the campus for many years. Preserving the architectural treasure that is Geisel House is so important, and we are most grateful for her generosity and her friendship,” Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said in a release.